ABSTRACT
Background: With the rise in cases of COVID-19, the concept of herd immunity came into play which is expected to play a very important role in the control of this pandemic. For herd immunity to work we require only a part of the entire population to be immune which can be either by vaccination or natural infection. Although we are exactly not sure about the lasting impact that these antibodies will have on us or about the re activation of virus, as of now this remains the best option with us to combat the disease process. The effectively of vaccine, virus transmission, and the level of pre-existing immunity along with other factors play a very important role in determining the time required to reach herd immunity. With this we can prevent the immune compromised or individuals with other co-morbid conditions predisposed to this disease as in them the disease process would be fast and response to treatment slow or undetermined. The main element of vaccine production depends on the population behaviours along with the pathogen. It is on the basis of these criteria that we analyse the study between herd immunity and COVID-19. As we know now that this disease spreads as the healthy individuals come in contact with infected individuals therefore the most effective way to prevent it is by maintaining social distancing. So with the herd immunity coming into play the transmission of the disease is stopped and we can achieve our aim of preventing the spread of the disease by making just a part of the population immune. Objective: The purpose is to review the article related to attainment of herd immunity in COVID-19. Methodology: For the review article we gathered the data from various data bases like PubMed, Google scholar, and science direct and other websites involving searches such as herd immunity, vaccines, natural immunity, COVID-19. Result: After reviewing the article we can say that herd immunity plays a very important role in controlling the transmission of COVID-19 Conclusion: After looking at all the perspectives although we conclude that herd immunity will play the leading role in the control of transmission but it is a very challenging task that would take a lot of time to become effective, till then measures such as social distancing, hygiene practices and sanitation should be considered to stop disease transmission.
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been causing varying severities of illness. Some are asymptomatic and some develop severe disease leading to mortality across ages. This contrast triggered us explore the causes, with the background that a vaccine for effective immunization or a drug to tackle COVID-19 is not too close to reality. We have discussed strategies to combat COVID-19 through immune enhancement, using simple measures including nutritional supplements. Discussion: A literature search on mortality-related comorbid conditions was performed. For those conditions, we analyzed the pro-inflammatory cytokines, which could cause the draining of the immune reservoir. We also analyzed the immune markers necessary for the defense mechanism/immune surveillance against COVID-19, especially through simple means including immune enhancing nutritional supplement consumption, and we suggest strategies to combat COVID-19. Major comorbid conditions associated with increased mortality include cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, being immunocompromised by cancer, and severe kidney disease with a senile immune system. Consumption of Aureobasidium pullulans strain (AFO-202) beta 1,3-1,6 glucan supported enhanced IL-8, sFAS macrophage activity, and NK cells' cytotoxicity, which are major defense mechanisms against viral infection. Conclusion: People with co-morbid conditions who are more prone to COVID-19-related deaths due to immune dysregulation are likely to benefit from consuming nutritional supplements that enhance the immune system. We recommend clinical studies to validate AFO-202 beta glucan in COVID-19 patients to prove its efficacy in overcoming a hyper-inflammation status, thus reducing the mortality, until a definite vaccine is made available.